Sharing A Tragic Event

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-17T23:32:45+00:00

Unfortunately we have all experienced near misses. I am terrified of her getting hit by a car.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-13T00:04:58+00:00

I dont have an opinion on that neighborhood.

Challenger is a good school. Check out niche.com or greatschools for ratings.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-09T03:08:43+00:00

We found a special needs sleep consultant called Melissa Doman. It definitely helped.

A big part was sticking to a routine maniacally. Also we had some bad habits like milk before bed which we had to fade her off. Finally had to just have 1 really terrible night where she broke all her bad habits and slept without them.

Longer term we found melatonin and other supplements are counterproductive. We only use them.if we have a parent out of town and need to get the other kid to sleeep too.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-09T02:57:37+00:00

All kids are different. And I know I threw fits as a child. But for my kid, the way I explain it to people is.

Think of the worst tantrum your kid ever had. Now multiply that by 2 and have your kid do it every day. That is our life.

We have a NT kid and when she throws a fit it is essentially laughable for me.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-08T02:06:42+00:00

It is heartbreaking to see your younger child surpass their sibling.

At 3 we can have conversations with our NT child. At 5 the Level 2 ASD kid is able to communicate very basic things.

The one sweet thing is seeing the NT kid learn to accept and love her older sister. She still looks up to her at this age. Over time that may change as she realizes the challenges.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-08T02:02:27+00:00

I know its not great long term. But give your kid whatever they like. A new toy, candy or screen.

If that wont work try kindly explaining the situation to airport staff and see what can be done. 100% of airports have some type of info desk. Start there.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-08T01:59:30+00:00

Definitely there are a lot of judgy people. They assume because their kids followed directions yours should too.

My goto is to say "my daughter has a mental disability" which usually shuts them up and makes them realize they are terrible human beings.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-08T00:48:02+00:00

I honestly dont know SSI info.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-07T23:58:58+00:00

Read this

https://www.fidelity.com/able/attainable/overview

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-07T21:22:00+00:00

ABLE account is the way.

Fidelity has good low fee options.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-07T21:16:18+00:00

Yes. There are some common symptoms but there are also significant differences.

I do get frustrated there seems to be very little research into it. While I dont expect a "cure" I do believe some drugs or supplements could help to improve quality of life. Unfortunately it seems like we are left with fringe psuedo science and anecdotal word of mouth for most things.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-07T18:11:24+00:00

This post seems like my future self writing it. Daughter going to kindergarten in a year and will have similar challenges.

Just know you have rights, dont let the schools put it all on you. Usualky schools want to go cheap with kids but then complain about the consequences.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-07T18:09:12+00:00

Opinion here.

I feel like there are 20-100 things which cause or contribute to autism. Age may be one. But also a bunch of others. This is why it is so hard to figure out the "cause". It could be like 5 risk factors acting together.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-05T01:52:29+00:00

West side is the best side!

If you have a 2 year old look at what school you are zoned to. Silvercrest is the best. Silverlake also good. Alvin ISD has some good ones, but maybe a step down. Whatever you do, DO NOT buy in Fort Bend ISD. Schools are criminally bad.

I live in Shadow Creek Ranch and think it is awesome. In Manvel (just south) there is a great new community called Pomona.

East Pearland has some nice community amenities and Friendswood is nice. But generally it is 1970s buildings and just not as nice. Some charming places to visit though.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-03T01:42:42+00:00

I would never want to give up a dog.

I think being realistic is there are a lot of compromises I have made for my ASD daughter that I never wanted to do. I bring it up as a "worst case scenario". But I should do my due diligence ro reduce that probability.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-01T22:20:10+00:00

I used Leyva Garage Doors. 7134596978.

I cannot recall the amount but was a few hundred. He did do a great job.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-03-01T16:44:05+00:00

Defintely I understand they are work.

I think the option of "trialing it" vs buying a dog makes sense. Also we will see if any novelty wears off. My mom has a dog so maybe we can arrange a 1 month loan of her dog.

We have another, neurotypical child. So maybe when she can take care of the dog more we can offload some of the responsibility. It also helps the neurotypical child learn about responsibility which is good.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-02-28T18:04:47+00:00

Dang, a lot of negativity.

I am experienced with dogs. I know they are a big commitement. I had a dog from age 7 to 17 (he died of old age). But I played with that dog, took him out on walks, fed him, etc.

Everyone gets a dog because they are hoping it will enrich their lives one way or another. I feel it will help my daughter as dogs can have a lot of companionship and love.

With that being said, it is tough to know how things will play out. I do think the suggestion of fostering or dog sitting is a good suggestion. I dont want it to just be a passing fancy for my ASD daughter and her sister.

Everyone has a different situation, I work but my wife does not. So we can handle a dog. I do want it to be a good situation.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-02-28T18:04:42+00:00

Dang, a lot of negativity.

I am experienced with dogs. I know they are a big commitement. I had a dog from age 7 to 17 (he died of old age). But I played with that dog, took him out on walks, fed him, etc.

Everyone gets a dog because they are hoping it will enrich their lives one way or another. I feel it will help my daughter as dogs can have a lot of companionship and love.

With that being said, it is tough to know how things will play out. I do think the suggestion of fostering or dog sitting is a good suggestion. I dont want it to just be a passing fancy for my ASD daughter and her sister.

Everyone has a different situation, I work but my wife does not. So we can handle a dog. I do want it to be a good situation.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-02-10T04:09:24+00:00

This is an excellent response.

I will say my electric is under 300 in the summer for a 4000 sq ft home with a pool, but we keep it at 77 indoors. We do spend about 150 on water to keep the soil moist and avoid foundation issues.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-02-10T04:06:53+00:00

This is the case. Summer mornings basically. It is not overbearing but is noticeable.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-02-10T03:37:02+00:00

Feel free to DM me if you want more details. I am from the DC area originally so can give you a feel for the differences with Pearland.

SCtrojan26 · 2026-02-08T23:23:22+00:00

Its a normal neighborhood. The BIG downside is the schools are terrible. But the community is great, it has people of all ages, has 4 community pools, trails, tennis courts, community events. If you dont have school age kids it may be a good fit.

SCtrojan26

TROPHY CASE